Lapid Holds First Cabinet Meeting As Prime Minister

JERUSALEM (JNS) – Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s primary message during his inaugural Security Cabinet meeting on Sunday was one of urgency.

“In the coming months, our goal, the goal of this whole table, is to manage the government as if there are no elections,” said Lapid in his opening remarks. “Israeli citizens are entitled to a functional government at any given moment. That is the expectation of us, that is my expectation from my fellow ministers,” he said.

“The education crisis cannot wait. Budgets for hospitals cannot be delayed. The Iranians, Hamas and Hezbollah are not waiting. We need to act against them on all fronts, at any given moment, and that is exactly what we will do,” said Lapid.

Lapid became caretaker prime minister at midnight on July 1, after the Knesset dispersed itself on Thursday and set November 1 as election day. On Friday morning, he met with Israeli Security Agency Director Ronen Bar at the Israel Defense Forces’ headquarters in Tel Aviv for an “extensive” security-intelligence briefing, according to an official statement.

In his remarks to the Cabinet, Lapid also addressed the interception on Saturday of three unmanned aerial vehicles launched by Hezbollah in the direction of Israel’s Karish offshore gas rig.

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“Hezbollah is continuing on the path of terrorism and harming Lebanon’s ability to reach an agreement over the maritime border. Israel will continue to protect itself, its citizens, and its assets,” said Lapid.

He vowed to continue to strengthen Israel’s economic, diplomatic and defense power.